Online Support for Volunteers

The Volunteer Toolkit (VTK) is a digital resource that supports
troop leaders and co-leaders, making the process of running a troop
easier and more efficient. Check out some of the toolkit’s top
features below. Then watch the video playlist above for a detailed walk-through.

View Daisy, Brownie, and
Junior Journeys and badges to plan for troop meetings.
o There are three prepopulated year plans in the VTK for Daisy,
Brownie, and Junior leaders, with 15 meetings
each.

Customize meetings by troop year with other badge and
Journey options.

NEW! Access the VTK as a multilevel troop
(troops with a mix of girls in Daisy, Brownie, and Junior
levels).

Explore individual meeting plans that show a
breakdown of every meeting, including a list of the materials
needed, and editable time allotments for each activity within a
meeting.

Record girls’ attendance at meetings and their badge
and Journey achievements.

Add council or custom troop
events to the troop’s calendar.

Enter the troop’s finances
(depending on the council’s process).

Easily locate
resources, such as Safety Activity Checkpoints.

NEW! Access
18 activities that now include a “Get Outside” option, which
provides alternative outdoor options.

What About Parents?

Parents can now access the VTK to see what their girl’s troop
or group is doing (e.g, meeting information and which badges and
Journeys she is working on).

Parents can also view the
troop’s finances (depending on the council’s process).

Log in today! Click on My GS in the upper right-hand corner to get started.

More Resources

The documents below contain everything you need to know about
volunteering with Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada. From opening
your troop bank account to taking your girls overseas, everything you
need is here at your fingertips!

Color Guard Training

A flag ceremony is a way of showing love and respect for one’s
country. Flag ceremonies are used for a variety of reasons, but they
all have one thing in common: respect for the flag. Take this online
training to learn about flag etiquette and simple ceremonies to
perform with your girls! Girl Scouts will learn how to properly
present, retire, fold, and salute the flag before participating in a
Flag Ceremony.

After adults finish these three steps, they should submit the online form to notify GSSN that the
training has been completed. There is no minimum Girl Scout age
requirement. However, to participate in a formal Color Guard, girls
must demonstrate respect for the flag and ceremony with appropriate behavior.

Note: The Training Booklet is a resource for you and your troop.
Please feel free to make as many copies as needed.

Girl Scouting 101

Girl Scouting 101 - RequiredThis
training gives you an orientation to Girl Scouting and will provide
you with the basics of the new Girl Scout Leadership Experience. Be
sure to view this video before attending or viewing Troop Leadership training!

Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE)

Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) When you
volunteer with girls it’s not just what you do - it’s
how you do it! That’s what makes Girl Scouts a fun and
meaningful experience for girls.

Using the National Leadership JourneysOn every
Leadership Journey, everything girls do—whether it's performing
science experiments, creating art projects, cooking simple meals, or
learning to protect the planet's water supply—is aimed at giving them
the benefits of the Girl Scout "Keys to Leadership":
Discover, Connect, Take Action.

In-Person Training Opportunities

Keeping Girls Safe Training

Keeping Girls Safe The Keeping Girls Safe training provides in-depth safety
information and tips that adult volunteers can use to help protect
girls by being safety-concious.

Outdoor Resources

Taking girls outside as they develop valuable outdoor skills and a
passion for nature can be fun for everyone! Ready to step outside,
expose girls to new things, and add something special to your Girl
Scout year? Check out the resources below!

Outdoor BasicsThese self-study materials are designed
for any volunteer planning to take girls camping or on an outdoor
experience. They provide important information on how to assess your
girls’ readiness and ensure a fun, positive experience!

Outdoor Skill-Building Videos Now it’s even easier for Girl Scout volunteers to introduce
girls to the wonders of hiking and camping. Whether they’re camping
pros or just starting out, our volunteers can help girls of all ages
have positive experiences in the great outdoors.

Step by Step: Developing Outdoor Skills in Girls At Girl Scouts, we work to build girls’ outdoor skills and
inspire girls to care for the environment as they grow. The Girl Scout Outdoor Progression
Chart (PDF) is a tool you can use as you advance girls’ skills in
an age-appropriate way.

Taking the Journeys Outside It’s easy to take a Girl Scout Journey outside. Each Journey is
full of fun, interactive activities that can easily go outdoors and
inspire girls to love and protect the planet. Watch this video to find
out how!

Planning Your Troop’s First Campout In order to have a great campout, you need to plan ahead—and be
prepared. This video will give you plenty to think about as you plan
your next outdoor adventure with Girl Scouts.

How to Leave No Trace Outdoors A Girl Scout always leaves an area better than she found it.
Throughout this video, girls will learn the importance of caring for
the land, and how to easily “Leave No Trace” when exploring and
enjoying the outdoors.

Safety Activity Checkpoints

Safety Activity
Checkpoints Safety Activity Checkpoints provides
in-depth safety information and tips that adult volunteers can use for
Girl Scout activities. Girl can also use these checkpoints to get
ready for a girl-led activity! Whether you’re conducting your regular
meeting or taking your troop scuba diving, these checkpoints will help
you prepare for an inclusive, fun, and safe experience with the girls.

Self-Study Resources

Check out the resources below for even more information and tips to
make your Girl Scout year successful.

The Silver Award Training is for Girl Scout
Cadettes who plan on working toward their Girl Scout Silver Award.
Parents and leaders are encouraged to attend to support their girls.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of the Girl Scout Silver
Award process and be able to ask questions about possible project
ideas. Girls are required to attend a Girl Scout Silver Award Training
(either in person or webinar) and get their project approved before
they start working on the Girl Scout Silver Award.

Gold Award Training

The Gold Award Training is required for Senior
and Ambassador Girl Scouts interested in earning their Gold Award.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of the Girl Scout Gold
Award process and be able to ask questions about possible Gold Award
project ideas. Before beginning their Gold Award projects, girls must
attend this training (either in person or webinar). Parents and
leaders may attend to support their girls.

Support Your Service Unit

Support Your Service Unit

Download your Service Unit Volunteer Manual to
find out all about service unit position descriptions, guides on how
to handle service unit finances, resolve conflict, plan events, mentor
leaders, be welcoming, and much more!

The following webinar is intended for adult volunteers who hold a
Service Unit position or are interested in learning more about what a
Service Unit does! You will learn about the Service Unit team
structure, essentials functions, planning, management, inclusion, and
outreach. View
the webinar now!

Troop Leadership

Troop LeadershipTroop Leadership is an in-person
volunteer learning workshop that is required for all troop leaders,
and highly recommended for all other volunteers working with girls.
This workshop is designed to guide you as you begin your journey as a
Girl Scout troop volunteer.

Volunteer Essentials

Volunteer EssentialsHave you ever wished that all the answers to the most common
questions about Girl Scouting could be found in one place? Then
Volunteer Essentials is for you! It includes:

The whats: programs, badges, meetings, awards, cookies and
more

The whys: council procedures, how they work, when to use
them

The hows: taking trips, understanding your girls, and
getting the most out of your leadership role

Blue BookThe 2017 edition of
our Blue Book of Basic Documents contains important
information and source documents, including the Constitution of Girl
Scouts of the United States of America, bylaws, policies, credentials
criteria and standards for councils, our Congressional Charter, and
more. Download (PDF) English | Español